The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-04-01

about an hour later. [ rushed out to meet
him, and was delighted to see him safe and
sound, though looking rather pale.
"Wel|" / asked anxiously.
ITS all right" he answered. 1--WE seen
him. But what a guy he is! He scared me
out Of my wits"
Il took him up to my husbands study, and
begged him to tell us all about what he had
seen, and how he had managed to come face
to face with our invisible parishioner.
Yes" he answered; but you must let me
smoke a cigar while I talk-my nerves are
rather shaken. You won't mind, Nary"
I gave my consent readily, and, when he had
lighted his cigar, he began.
81 knocked several times at the door before
! ] got an answer from within. At last l heard
a heavy step coming down the stairs, and pres
emily a gruff voice asked me, through the spy
hole, who l was and what wanted
"I have come down from Jones, Wilson q
Cohorts publishers, you know I answer
ed. 1t is on most important besinCss, Unjust
see him at once
"'What is this business!' asked the voice.
d" 4 can only tell it to Mr.. Mort himself. l
repeat, it is very important. have, besides,
to hand him q check
'"The door was then opened, end I entered a
perfectly dark hall.
"Have you any matches about you?" asked
the woman, for woman l distinguished the
person to be.
'"NO, l said.
well, then, go in there, she said, pushing
me into a room one side Of the passage.
''This room was family lighted by what
looked like moonl light pouring through panes
of red glass.
"The drawing room," I interrupted. You
remember, John. Go on Charlie"
1T had a most CHASTITY effect, | can tell
you, and l began to regret having come. The
woman stood at the doora long time without
speaking.
"At last she said: 81 will send Mr.. Mort
Down to you. But you must stay In the dark.
His eyes won't bear the light"
"With these words she went up stairs. I
felt very uncomfortable, and began feeling in
my pocket for a light. can not tell you
how glad l was to discover a couple Of fusees
in the lining of my waistcoat.
II heard Ler walking slowly up stairs, and
then in the room above my head. Then there
was a sound Of voices as of q man and a
woman talking, but I could not distinguish
what was said very clearly. The man seemed
to ask: Who is itl what does he wantl'
The woman's answers were inaudible.
presently 1 heard steps on the stairs-a
heavy, slow tread. 1t was Mr.. Mort. On the
landing he began to whistle, and came whis-
Ting into the room.
Il was sitting on a chair opposite the door
and l saw him come in. It was a tall, stout
figure, and what greatly surprised me was
that he wore a hat.
II could see neither his face nor his dress,
but / assure you this tall, black figure wear
ing a hat, was of no very comfortable aspect
as l saw it pass through that mysterious light.
II crossed the room, whlstling all the
while. and sat down with his back to the
window, the curtains of which he arranged so
as to completely conceal his person.
"Wel, what do you wantl' he asked in a
very deep voice. 81 hope your business is
very important. Otherwise you may get into
trouble for disturbing me at this hour. Come,
what is it?"
II had prepared my answer, and said: ave
have had an offer of $4,000 from Whites, of
New York, for the advance sheets of your next
novel. We are to cable reply. / have been
sent down to consult you, and at the same
time to ask you when 1t win be ready. We are
very anxious to get the maEusHI ,2t in hand at
once.'
sMr. Mort made no answe and the perfect
stiffness OF the house, the awful light that
shown through the window, and the dim out
line of the mysterious figure among the cur
tains, produced together an effect that was
decidedly unpleasant to my nerves. / decid-
ed that my joke had gone far enough. Butt
could not 90 away without seeing our author;
that would have been a fasco. So / dropped
a shilling on the floor, pretended to group for
1t, and struck a fusee.
.sVTIth a cry that chilled me to the bones,
the figure sprang at me, with its arms out.
OF course / was not going to stand any vio-
lence, author or no author, SOL pushed my
chair in between his legs and down he came,
such a croppert Meanwhile | rushed out into
the passage, opened the door somehow, aud
ran all the way here. And jolly glad 1 am to
be out of that house,
s.But didn't YOU see him after allgn I cried.
20 yes" answered Charlie, Il just had a
glance as I dropped my fusee, when he
rushed at me. But that glance was quite
enough. II was like concentrated Bedlam.
"Well, describe him to us, Charlie 2 said
my husband, who seemed as much interested
as / myself was.
"a tall, fat man, With a fat face, beardless
and whiskerless He had top hat on. HIS
hair was short and like rats tails.v
"John pI cried, horror-stricken; ''why,
that's Mrs. Mort.
aThis is a very serious matter, !, said my
husband. hardly know what to think. We
must 90 round to Squire Dale the irst thing
In the morning and tell him what we have
heard He Is a magistrate and will know how
to act.